Tensions rise between bicyclists and drivers on A1A

Task force seeks input from users of road

Members of the Boca Raton Bicycle Club ride north on A1A in Delray Beach on… (Joe Cavaretta, Sun Sentinel )

April 27, 2012|By Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel

It's a narrow stretch of road that everyone wants to call their own: State Road A1A, the scenic drive along the Atlantic Ocean through Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The popular route, also known in some cities as Ocean Boulevard or Ocean Avenue, has sprawling mansions, tall condominium towers, restaurants and public beaches. But it also attracts bicyclists, joggers, pedestrians, tourists taking a leisurely drive and residents who just want to get home.

"There is a lot of road rage," said Nancy Porter, a Delray Beach bicyclist who rides about 75 miles each weekend. "Motorists come right next to you and shout and scream at you."

Police agencies along A1A now want to try to make peace: They've held an initial meeting among law enforcement, government transportation agencies and nonprofit groups to figure out how A1A-users can get along without hostility.

Bicycle clubs will be included next, and residents will be invited to future get-togethers.

"The goal is unified enforcement and education, from Miami to Jacksonville," said Lt. Hal Hutchins of Ocean Ridge police.

The task force — known as the Broward-Palm Beach Coastal Community Traffic Coalition — brought in representatives of the Broward Sheriff's office, representing Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office; Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland Beach; the state Department of Transportation; and nonprofit groups such as the Dori Slosberg Foundation, which works on road-safety issues.

The speed limit is 35 mph along most of the two-lane road, but each city and town has its own unique features. Many have crosswalks for pedestrians and beachgoers, while others have limited beach access.

Some have bike lanes, where cyclists are allowed by state law to ride two abreast. But state law requires motorists to give bike riders a three-foot buffer, a rule many drivers don't know. Some communities lack designated lanes at all, making the trek more perilous, especially on weekends when hundreds ride in packs that can be miles-long.

Some have traffic lights; others have signs requiring drivers to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.

Crashes have become commonplace. From 2006 to 2010, at least 319 cyclists and pedestrians were involved in serious traffic crashes on A1A in Broward and Palm Beach counties, according to a Sun Sentinel analysis of data from the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Drivers are going to have to become more comfortable sharing the road with cyclists: From 2000-2009, the number of commuters who bike to work increased by 57 percent, according to a recent study by the Alliance for Biking & Walking.

Many bicyclists can share stories of having been hit by cars. In a famously gruesome case, an A1A driver in 2009 knocked airline pilot Kevin Hagenstad off his bike as he headed through Lake Worth, ran over him, then backed over him in an attempt to flee the scene.

Bicyclist Bob Sabin said he was hit by a car a few years ago when he waited at a top sign for for traffic to pass. He said there is blame on both sides. Bicyclists sometimes ride in thick packs that block roads, while drivers become impatient and use their cars as weapons.

Mike Simon, a bicyclist with the GS Palm Beach Club, said police sometimes hassle riders by "corraling us like cattle to squeeze us into single-file." But, he said, bicyclists sometimes are at fault too, by not stopping at lights or throwing water bottles at cars that travel too closely.

Bret Baronak, bicycle/greenway/pedestrian coordinator for the Palm Beach County Metropolitan Planning Organization, said A1A attracts more cyclists than any road in Broward or Palm Beach counties. He said he hopes the task force becomes a permanent organization that meets regularly to update the public on laws and listen to comments.

"Putting signs up is not the answer," Baronak said. "There has to be an ongoing education and enforcement campaign to keep relationships smooth."